<p></p><p><b>Entrance of coronavirus into cells happens through the spike proteins on the virus surface, for which the spike protein should be cleaved into S1 and S2 domains. This cleavage is mediated by furin, which can specifically cleav</b><b>e</b><b> Arg-X-X-Arg↓ sites of the substrates. Furin, a member of proprotein convertases family, is moved from the trans-Golgi network to the cell membrane and activates many precursor proteins. A number of pathological conditions such as atherosclerosis, cancer, and viral infectious diseases, are linked with the impaired activity of this enzyme. </b></p> <p><b>Despite the urgent need to control COVID-19, no approved treatment is currently known. Here, folic acid (folate), a water-soluble B vitamin, is introduced for the first time for the inhibition of furin activity. As such, folic acid, as a safe drug, may help to prevent or alleviate the respiratory involvement associated with COVID-19. </b></p><br><p></p>

The outbreak of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has posed a significant concern in many countries due to the rapid rate of transmission between humans. Taking advantage of the experience of the last epidemics in 2002 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and 2012 Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV), some regions of the world were well- prepared for the new outbreak. However, other countries needed to be adapted to the situation promptly. Many management strategies were established, and some restrictions were introduced in some regions. In this review, we aimed to determine countries&rsquo; public responses to the epidemic of COVID-19 and how they developed administrative approaches towards the outbreak.

Erythropoietin (EPO) is an important hormone responsible for the stimulation of hematopoiesis which is impaired in a variety of diseases, such as chronic kidney disease, cancer chemotherapy, and the use of some anti-HIV drugs. Difficulties in the purification of endogenous EPO due to problems such as technical limitations, heterogeneity of target cells, inadequate amount and immunogenicity of the resultant product, had limited the entry of endogenous EPO in the clinical applications. The integration of medical biotechnology and hematology has introduced novel procedures for the production of human recombinant erythropoietin (rHuEPO), and other erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs). To investigate and produce rHuEPO, the first step is to recognize the molecular biology and functional pathways, structure, metabolism, and basic physiology of EPO. In this review, all clinical indications, side effects, challenges and notable points regarding EPO, rHuEPO, and other ESAs have also been addressed along with its molecular characterization, such as the modifications needed to optimize their rHuEPO biosynthesis.

Coronaviruses, which have been known to cause diseases in animals since the 1930s, utilize cellular components during their replication cycle. Lipids play important roles in viral infection, as coronaviruses target cellular lipids and lipid metabolism to modify their host cells to become an optimal environment for viral replication. Therefore, lipids can be considered as potential targets for the development of antiviral agents. This review provides an overview of the roles of cellular lipids in different stages of the life cycle of coronaviruses.

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